How We Celebrated: School Rally

Chess tournament, movie screening, pancake breakfast, grandparents day, spirit night, parade, service project… How will you celebrate school choice this January?

One of the most dynamic ways we see schools celebrate their learning choice each National School Choice Week is through pep rallies. Not only can rallies kick off the January semester with positive vibes, they can be powerful tools to build school spirit in a community.

For National School Choice Week 2020, for example, yellow fleeces were flying as Freedom Prep Academy rallied in celebration. After handing out scarves to students and staff, the school community gathered in the gym to turn up the music and participate in the National School Choice Week dance.

Then, students sat cross-legged with their friends. Student representatives and special guest speakers took the mic to reflect on school choice’s impact on their lives. As you can see, the rally planners didn’t miss the opportunity for great photos!

Meanwhile, at Butte Central Catholic High School in Montana, students assembled in their school’s rotunda for their own celebratory rally. Local community leaders were invited to visit and students received a school-choice themed message from their principal. Principal J.P. Williams shared in his remarks.

“School choice is super important. There are so many reasons why parents choose to send their kids to a particular school, or a particular school system,”
Principal J.P. Williams

Butte Central Catholic High School’s rally included the reading of a local proclamation officially recognizing the week as National School Choice Week.

Some schools find it easier to go outside for a rally rather than clearing a space inside their school building. Harmony School of Science gathered outside during National School Choice Week 2020 to celebrate and perform the dance they’d been practicing:

The bottom line is this: A pep rally is an incredibly rewarding way to bring students and staff together and celebrate in the comfort of your school. It will require more effort than simply handing out scarves or wristbands. But, taking your celebration to this next level will allow your students to soak in the excitement of what their school choice offers.